Cricket 1894

“ Together 'joined in cricket’s manly toil.”— Byron, No. 37 2 VOL. X III. Boiatered for Transmission Abroad THURSDAY, AUG. 23, 1894. PRICE 2d. wicket, etc.” Evidently then he need not throw, that is, hall need not leave his hand. But when is tall in play? As Ipointid out in my Revised Code in March last, the Laws omit to state this. Then I said that “ The ball is in play when it has been deliver, d by the bowler, and until such time as it is again finally settled in the hands of either bowler or wicket­ keeper ; excepting only under Law 19,” that is, the very law we are just now considering. Perhaps tbe ball is in play as soon i s bonier starts bis run up to wicket, for supposing umpire called “ Play ” before every ball, he would not wait until the moment when ball left bowler’s hand, but when he began his run. Another quettion is even less fimp'e to answer. A 1attman hit a ball a secrnd time, stumper pickedup ball and threw it with all his might at the wicket. It went to the boundary— “ just what I wanted.” The umpire called three runs, the full allowance for the boundary. “ Ihenloth batsmen started to cross. I at once inftrmed my man be was ou*, but I did not appeal. But I want to ask y^u if he was really out.” No, certainly not! The ball was dead when it touched the boundary. The batsman did not run ; they simply, after the ball was dead, crossed to meet the requirements of a three-runs penalty. I once saw a batsmen hit the ball twice, but w.th no intention of running ; ball went to point, who, seeing him out of ground, shied at wicket and missed it and stumper. Then batsmen ran two runs, and one was given out. Very unfairly, was my CRICKET NOTCHES BT TH E R ev . E . S. H olmes . If cricketers would only read the Laws of Ciicket through at least once, they would be spared the trouble of asking me questions not infrequently. The more I enquire, the more amnzed am I to learn how very few of them have ever done so. One quiet half hour would amply suffice for this pur­ pose. Thus I will commend Law No. 3G to one correspon­ dent who wants to know whether injured batsman, after retiring, “cannot claim to bat again." No, he can­ not. “ Suppose the op­ posite cap'aia refuses to allow him ? ” Then Le cannot comple' ehis innings. “ And suppose bowler wil­ fully damages a man in order to get rid of him ?” Yes, suppose he does, though I cannot doanjthing of the sort; but if he did, then I take it public opinion would rule such a bowler an unmitigated ruffian, and would there and then pack him off to Coventry. As a matt r of fact, a captain never does stop [a batsman, and,one hopes, never will. Here’s another question less easy of answer. It refers to a batsman being run out, as Tyler was the other day, through backing up incautiously. “ Is bats­ man out if b ,wler keep hold of ba l in putting wicket down ? Is ball in play until it has actually left bowler’s hand ? ” Law 35 expressly refers to this case—“ when the bowler is aboui to deliver the ball, if the bats­ man at his wicket be out of his ground before actual delivery, the said bowler may run him out; but if the bowler throw at the B R IG G S A S H E B O W L S F rom a p h oto b y H aw lcins <& C o , B righton.